One fall evening at a rowdy restaurant in the great Northwest with cousins and other folks that share the same bloodline, we experienced bacon-wrapped, stuffed jalapeños so incredible that having to share them threatened family harmony. Armed with clues from the menu, I vowed to recreate these bad boys. And that is exactly what I did.
Ingredients
- Fresh jalapeños
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 or 2 tsp. Splenda or sugar, to taste
- 1 pound bacon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Put on your gloves to protect your delicateness from the spicy pepper goo. Wash the jalapeños. Cut them in half, lengthwise. You can scrape out the seeds with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Leave a few in for those who like a little “eechee wah wah”!
Mix together the softened cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder and sweetener.
Fill the jalapeño “boats” with the creamy mixture. Cut the pieces of bacon in half and start wrapping!
Put some foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet. (You will want to thank me for that later!) Place your bundles of joy on the baking sheet and insert into the preheated oven. How long it takes will depend on your pepper size, but plan on 20-30 minutes. Check along the way to see how they look. When the cheese is a little bubbly and the bacon is crisp, get ready! Feed the crowd that has been swooning at the smell.
Ask my sister Cynthia — these are perfect for breakfast, too. If there are any left (at my house, that means I made a double or triple batch), you can freeze them after baking. I put them in a freezer bag, laid out in neat rows on wax paper sheets.
You can also cook these on the grill or in the microwave. Experiment!
Cooking for a vegetarian? Leave off the bacon. Still wonderful!
Leave a Reply